Who Is Demetri Martin?

“Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is the same as saying ‘I apologize.’ Except at a funeral,” said comedic genius Demetri Martin during his 2007 Comedy Central special Person.

If you don’t know about Demetri Martin by now, you’ve either been living under a rock or you just don’t enjoy comedy. Demetri Martin is a stand-up comedian, writer, artist, musician, and actor from New York City. He graduated from Yale University in 1995 and was accepted into Harvard Law School but attended the New York University School of Law instead because he was offered a full scholarship. He dropped out of the NYU School of Law at the end of his junior year to become a stand-up comedian and unlike many others, his decision lead to success and stardom. Martin began his stand-up career in 2001 when he appeared on Comedy Central’s stand-up showcase Premium Blend. He wrote for Late Night With Conan O’Brien from 2003 to 2004 and in 2005, he appeared on The Daily Show where he hosted a segment called “Trendspotting.” The segment involved Martin reporting on current trends among the youth such as hookahs and Xbox 360. In 2006, Demetri took a break from The Daily Show and released his first comedy CD entitled These Are Jokes.A year later, Martin had his own hour-long Comedy Central special called Person. Martin often plays guitar,harmonica, or piano while he tells his jokes and incorporates a large drawing pad in his act where he draws ridiculous pictures.

His innovative humor and musical accompaniment set him apart from traditional stand-up comedians. In 2009, Martin starred, wrote, and hosted his own Comedy Central show called Important Things With Demetri Martin. The show went strong for two seasons but was not renewed for a third season. In the midst of filming his own show, Martin was casted as the star in the film Taking Woodstock. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before it hit theaters nationwide a few days later. Martin’s latest work was the release of his first novel This Is A Book in 2011. The book is a compilation of drawings, one-liners, and short stories all created by Martin. Martin’s rapidly growing popularity is a result of his unique style and many accomplishments in such a small period of time. Currently, Martin is on his 2012 “Telling Jokes In Cold Places” tour that kicked off this January. He plans to release a new CD after his 2012 tour and continue being a prominent player in the world of comedy.

-Matthew Clifford Hadley